Restaurant Brasserie Laurier at Hotel Metropolitan Takasaki (Gunma) is holding a "Niigata Food Fair: A Celebration of Origins and Craft" from July 1 to August 31, 2026. This year's edition focuses on ingredients from the Chuetsu region — including Nagaoka, Tokamachi, and Uonuma — sourced firsthand by the hotel's chef during visits to the producing areas. Sea of Japan seafood, Tsumari pork and Niigata wagyu from the mountains, and regional home-cooking dishes all feature in a lunch buffet that brings the flavors of Niigata to Takasaki.
As a highlight, the fair partners with JR East's cargo transport service "Hakobiun" to bring fresh seafood from Niigata to Takasaki by Shinkansen. On two dates, fish purchased that same morning in Niigata will travel to Takasaki Station and be served in a live kitchen during lunchtime as fresh nigiri sushi.
"Niigata Food Fair: A Celebration of Origins and Craft" Overview
- Venue: Restaurant "Brasserie Laurier"
- Period: July 1 to August 31, 2026
- Hours: 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM (last order at 2:30 PM)
- Format: Lunch buffet with a choice of one main dish, plus hors d'oeuvres, salad, soup, soft drinks, and dessert
Lunch Buffet — Choice of Main Dish
- Tsumari Pork Sauce-Katsu Spaghetti / ¥2,500
- Tsumari Pork Crème Cacciatore Spaghetti / ¥2,700
- Niigata-Grown Aji (Horse Mackerel) Provençal with Ratatouille Sauce / ¥2,800
- Tsumari Pork Shumai with Truffle Sauce / ¥2,800
- Nagaoka B-Grade Gourmet: Tsumari Pork Western-Style Katsudon with Hayashi and Curry Sauce / ¥2,800
- Niigata-Grown Seafood Tomato Spaghetti / ¥3,000
- Tsumari Pork Piperade (Basque-style Stew) / ¥3,000
- Tsumari Pork Sauté with Piquant Sauce / ¥3,200
- Poêlée of Niigata-Grown Seabass with Ravigote Sauce / ¥3,500
- Niigata Wagyu Minute Steak with Jus de Boeuf and Kanzuri Condiment / ¥6,500
- Grilled Niigata-Grown Nodoguro (Blackthroat Seaperch) with Agrumes Aroma (limited to 10 per day) / ¥8,000
- Tsumari Pork Nanbanyaki / ¥2,800
All prices include consumption tax. Each main course selection includes a buffet of hors d'oeuvres, salad, soup, and soft drinks, plus dessert.
Dessert options:
- Today's dessert with vanilla ice cream and fruit sauce (included)
- (+¥200) Tokamachi Sukoyaka Factory: Today's gateau with vanilla ice cream and fruit
- (+¥500) Tokamachi Sukoyaka Factory: Rice Flour Roll Cake "Snow White" with fruit
Special Feature: "10-Piece Sado Island Sea of Japan Local Fish Nigiri Sushi" via Hakobiun
On July 19 (Sun) and August 30 (Sun), seafood purchased that same morning in Niigata is transported by Joetsu Shinkansen to Takasaki and served as a special lunch menu. Through the JR East Group's "Hakobiun" cargo service, fish landed off Sado Island in the Sea of Japan — including tuna, houbou (gurnard), seabass, and nanban shrimp — travels from Niigata Station to Takasaki Station at speed. The restaurant then prepares the catch in a live kitchen and serves "10-Piece Sea of Japan Sado Island Local Fish Nigiri Sushi (with Banya-jiru Soup)" during lunchtime in limited quantities.
- Available dates: July 19, 2026 (Sun) and August 30, 2026 (Sun) — lunchtime only
- Price: ¥4,000 (consumption tax included)
- Contents: 10-piece nigiri sushi of local Sea of Japan Sado Island fish, plus Banya-jiru soup
- Price includes a choice of main dish, buffet, and dessert.
About Hakobiun
Hakobiun is a JR East Group cargo transport service that leverages the speed, reliability, and environmental advantages of rail travel. By linking communities and goods through the railway, it promotes regional appeal and contributes to enriching everyday life and addressing social challenges.
Niigata Regional Cuisine and Local Sake Set
Also available during lunchtime is a set pairing Niigata ingredients and regional cuisine with local sake. Choose from either Japanese-style or Western-style snacks. Prices vary depending on the sake selected.
Local sake lineup:
Hakkai Brewery / Junmai Ginjo Hakkaisan: ¥1,500
A clean, refined sake with a gentle acidity and a firm backbone of flavor.Yoshinogawa / Gokujyo Yoshinogawa Tokubetsu Junmai: ¥1,300
Smooth on the palate with the natural umami and aroma of rice standing out, finished with a lively acidity. Equally enjoyable warmed.Matsunoi Sake Brewery / Tokubetsu Junmaishu Matsunoi: ¥1,200
Fragrant and clean with a dry character, with the natural umami of rice produced through low-temperature fermentation coming through clearly.
Japanese-Western Breakfast Buffet
- Hours: 6:30 AM to 10:00 AM (last order at 9:30 AM)
- Price: ¥2,200 (consumption tax included)
During the fair period, the breakfast buffet at Brasserie Laurier includes a range of Niigata regional dishes — such as "Igoreni," "Seared and Marinated Salmon," "Soy Sauce Okowa (sticky rice)," and "Juzen Nasu-zuke (pickled eggplant)" — alongside a variety of Tsumari pork preparations from the Chuetsu region and Niigata Koshihikari rice. Local Niigata specialties including "Tare-Katsu" and "Italian" (a Niigata-style noodle dish) are also on offer, making for a breakfast experience that evokes a journey through Niigata.
Restaurant Information
Brasserie Laurier
Seats: 80 (private room available)
Reservations and inquiries: 027-325-3461 (restaurant direct line)
Official website: https://takasaki.metropolitan.jp/restaurant/list/laurier/index.html
